Michael Barbella, Managing Editor10.25.22
Software-as-a-Medical-Device (SaMD) brain health company VoxNeuro Inc. is partnering with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to study the cognitive effects of military training.
Specifically, VoxNeuro and CAF are studying the cognitive effects following intense military training regimens designed to reflect a combat environment and blast exposure. Despite the high prevalence of cognitive issues in veterans and active military personnel, there is relatively little understanding regarding these cognitive effects and reliable monitoring. The study will assess the effects of repetitive, sub-concussive exposure (RSCE) on cognitive functioning and brain electrophysiology with CAF personnel undergoing cognitive testing in tandem with EEG recordings before and after military training. The study seeks to understand the relationship between RSCE and behavioural symptoms, vestibular dysfunction, neurophysiology, and cognition to aid in early detection, prevention, treatment and prognosis.
The study will be led by Dr. Kyle Ruiter, Ph.D., VoxNeuro’s vice president of Clinical and Scientific Affairs, with support from Dr. John Connolly, Ph.D., VoxNeuro’s chief science officer. “We are very excited for the opportunity to conduct research with the Canadian Armed Forces that will help further our understanding of the cognitive performance of elite military personnel during high intensity, combat-like situations,” said Dr. Ruiter. “This research will hopefully be an important step forward in improving brain health and increasing the safety of the Canadian Armed Forces and other military personnel.”
VoxNeuro and CAF intend for the study to lay the foundation for future collaborative research. The goal is to understand ways to best improve brain injury diagnosis in active military personnel that are exposed to RSCE and to use this information to refine VoxNeuro’s existing in-market testing platform. The company intends to use this work to support new regulatory filings with Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
VoxNeuro is developing SaMD technology that uses validated brain biomarkers. The company’s EEG-based reports deliver a comprehensive understanding of how a brain is functioning through the objective measurement of a patient’s attention and concentration, information processing, and working memory. VoxNeuro complements existing clinical workflow to provide clinicians and patients with a more complete picture of brain health, and to inform clinical decision-making.
Specifically, VoxNeuro and CAF are studying the cognitive effects following intense military training regimens designed to reflect a combat environment and blast exposure. Despite the high prevalence of cognitive issues in veterans and active military personnel, there is relatively little understanding regarding these cognitive effects and reliable monitoring. The study will assess the effects of repetitive, sub-concussive exposure (RSCE) on cognitive functioning and brain electrophysiology with CAF personnel undergoing cognitive testing in tandem with EEG recordings before and after military training. The study seeks to understand the relationship between RSCE and behavioural symptoms, vestibular dysfunction, neurophysiology, and cognition to aid in early detection, prevention, treatment and prognosis.
The study will be led by Dr. Kyle Ruiter, Ph.D., VoxNeuro’s vice president of Clinical and Scientific Affairs, with support from Dr. John Connolly, Ph.D., VoxNeuro’s chief science officer. “We are very excited for the opportunity to conduct research with the Canadian Armed Forces that will help further our understanding of the cognitive performance of elite military personnel during high intensity, combat-like situations,” said Dr. Ruiter. “This research will hopefully be an important step forward in improving brain health and increasing the safety of the Canadian Armed Forces and other military personnel.”
VoxNeuro and CAF intend for the study to lay the foundation for future collaborative research. The goal is to understand ways to best improve brain injury diagnosis in active military personnel that are exposed to RSCE and to use this information to refine VoxNeuro’s existing in-market testing platform. The company intends to use this work to support new regulatory filings with Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
VoxNeuro is developing SaMD technology that uses validated brain biomarkers. The company’s EEG-based reports deliver a comprehensive understanding of how a brain is functioning through the objective measurement of a patient’s attention and concentration, information processing, and working memory. VoxNeuro complements existing clinical workflow to provide clinicians and patients with a more complete picture of brain health, and to inform clinical decision-making.